


Tell Me How to Love

by czar_feline



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: M/M, Professor Sungjin, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Student Younghyun, Wonpil Jaehyung and Dowoon briefly mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28479324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/czar_feline/pseuds/czar_feline
Summary: "I'm a blank canvas, untainted, pure, but close to nothing." It almost surprised Sungjin when he hears Younghyun suddenly talk from his back. "Hello to you too, Mr. Kang." The professor says as he places the photograph back on the pile, but Younghyun steals it in the process. "I knew everyone would take photos of their marks, I'm glad mine isn't appearing yet. I don't wanna be cliché." Younghyun says, placing the photo back before following Sungjin who goes towards the studio."It will appear soon, you still have a few days left." Younghyun gasps and looks at Sungjin in astonishment. "You remember my birthday!" He says happily before clinging onto Sungjin's arm. "Of course, you're the baby brother I never had." Sungjin replies, pinching Younghyun's nose. "Baby brother?" he asks skeptically, "If that's the case, then I should just call you hyung. No more ‘Sir!’"
Relationships: Kang Younghyun | Young K/Park Sungjin
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	Tell Me How to Love

**Author's Note:**

> Hi hi happy new year!
> 
> I love SungBri so much but there are very few fics huhu. So here's my contribution. hahaha! Hope you guys will like this one. I wrote it a few years back. lol.

  
It’s almost Christmas break and Sungjin just wants to drown himself in his bed listening to faint Christmas songs. But before that, he still has to survive teaching five classes until then. He stands up from his blanket burrito and stops by the mirror beside his closet. His hair is much longer now compared to his buzz-cut months ago. Though he prefers his longer hair now, he admits he misses his bald head sometimes.

Now that he looks closer to himself, he realizes that he kind of looks different now. He visibly gained weight, but he's definitely in better shape, compared to how he was before. Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he sees that he still has few more minutes, so he sits back down on his bed. He stares at himself in the mirror and tilts his head sideways. Then, he sees the black ink which miraculously appeared on his eighteenth birthday.

It's nothing close to a miracle; it's just his soulmate mark. He remembers waking up from the stinging pain in his neck. He remembers running towards the mirror to see how his mark will turn into. It took almost an hour before it fully appeared and he was in utter awe after it did. Lost in wonder, he could not fathom how a tattoo-like mark on his skin will soon dictate his life.

He tilts his head more, tracing the familiar pattern with his fingers. It's a letter Y with a sun and a moon surrounding it. It's still as breathtaking as it was when he first saw it. But apart from it, being beautiful, the memory attached to it steals his breath away as well. If not because of it, he would still be beside him. Wonpil would still be there with him.

The silence of the room and the noise of his mind suddenly get interrupted by a loud sound coming from his alarm. He stands up and turns the device off, then he heads to the bathroom, failing to notice that his phone lit up. He sees it minutes later; it's a message from his student, Younghyun.

From: Kang Younghyun (BA Lit)  
I finished the book you recommend last night. I'll tell you what I think about it, but I'm also bringing a book that you should try reading. :P

Btw, good morning, Sir! See you later!

He turns his phone off and opts not to reply since he is in his first class anyway. He puts it in his pocket and heads to his kitchen to prepare his breakfast. Has it been four years or five years? The weather makes him remember things he has been trying to forget. He has been trying to run away from that memory like how Wonpil woke up one day and his heart is no longer his. All because of a stupid mark.

It's not like he's still in love with Wonpil, but it doesn't mean that he's not bitter. He is, he's bitter and he will not, he will never let it go. He settles for a French toast after realizing that he forgot to buy groceries again. He sighs and proceeds on making himself a large cup of coffee after. He hates western food like French toasts, but it's Wonpil's favorite breakfast.

He can't remember a day back in college after he started dating Wonpil that he didn't eat French toasts for breakfast. Even though it comes with variations, sometimes with eggs, bacon, mayonnaise, and peanut butter and jelly, it's still the same French effin toast. And somehow, it managed to get into his system, but he still hates it along with Wonpil.

He leaves his apartment a few minutes later with a thick scarf comfortably draped around his neck. It's the good thing during winter; he can hide his soulmate mark without looking too desperate to do it.

As he is getting off of his car, he hears a familiar voice coming from his side. "Sir Sungjin! Good morning!" Sungjin turns to look at the source of the voice and finds out that he isn't wrong with his guess. "Hey, Younghyun. Good morning." He replies casually while taking his bag from his car.

"Shouldn't you be wearing more clothes?" Sungjin asks as he starts walking, Younghyun follows him after. The student is only wearing a blue pullover shirt and pants. "Laundry." Younghyun bashfully replies whilst getting something from his bag. Sungjin snickers hearing the student's reason, a typical college student. "Anyway, here's the book. Thank you for lending it to me." He says, handing the book to Sungjin.

"You're welcome." Sungjin takes the book from Younghyun's hand and sees another book tucked in his armpit. "Here's the book I'm telling you." Younghyun then hands his professor David Levithan's Everyday. Sungjin laughs a little, "Don't you think I'm too old for Young Adult novels?" He takes the book from Younghyun though.

"Who says there's an age limit for Young Adult novels? And you're just twenty-six, you're not that old." Younghyun replies. "Twenty-seven." Sungjin corrects him and Younghyun replies with a pout. "Still." He reasons out and Sungjin couldn't help but notice how young Younghyun looks when he acts like that. "I'm three steps away from my thirties. I'm not young."

Younghyun stops walking, making Sungjin halt too. "I believe that the length of your stay here on earth does not determine if you are young or old. You can be old at seventeen and you can be young at seventy." He says then leaves Sungjin dumbfounded a few feet away from their classroom. The teacher finds himself laughing while watching his student walk into the classroom as he has just won the case of the century.

He walks into the classroom a little later and sees Younghyun sitting beside his friend. "Good morning everyone." He greets them as he settles his bags on his table. He glances around and sees Younghyun asking Dowoon, his friend, to 'pay attention to Sir!' He smiles and proceeds on telling the whole class about his syllabus.

He first saw Younghyun in his Introduction to Photography class a year ago. It's a non-major subject in Younghyun's course, that's why a lot of students are just attending his class to pass. But Younghyun's different, he's passionate and he's eager to learn. He also makes Sungjin feel sudden urges to protect him, like how an older brother acts in front of his younger brother.

Around after lunch, Sungjin goes to the Photography Laboratory. He usually stays there during his vacant time and sometimes in the faculty room, but he prefers being alone. He prefers thinking to himself, blaming himself, and regretting everything that happened too long ago. He prefers not to move on and rot with his hatred and bitterness.

He still hates the fact that no matter how much he loved Wonpil, it did nothing for him. They met in college, it was cliché, but it's the kind of cliché he wants to have. Like, meeting in college, working and saving for the future, getting married, having kids, growing old together. Because no matter how cliché that is, it's ideal and it's happy. He would have been happy. And that's why he still hates the fact he doesn't have the same soulmate mark with Wonpil.

And if he were to follow his plans back when he was still with him, by now, they're probably already married. They were probably living in a two-story house near the lake. They were probably living in the house his grandparents gave him. But now, he couldn't even bring himself to visit the old house without tearing. And no, he won't visit that again, not unless he's taking Wonpil with him, but everyone knows how impossible that is.

It is impossible because of that fucking tattoo on his neck. They would have been together if not for that fucking tattoo. If only Wonpil had a letter S with sun and moon on his neck instead of a pair of wings and a small cloud.

He feels himself heating up and getting angry again with the memory. He goes to the stockroom and sees piles of photographs from last year's mini-exhibit. Most of the pictures were the student's soulmate marks. Since the last year's theme was about something that makes them different from one another. He rolls his eyes before picking up the ones which fell on the ground.

Then he picks up a particular one that doesn't show a soulmate mark. He knows who the owner of the photograph is; it's one of his favorites, to be honest. He found it stupid at first before he found out the explanation about it. It's just a photograph of a blank canvas in monochrome. He stands up as he turns the photo around and sees 'Park Younghyun' written on a sticky note.

"I'm a blank canvas, untainted, pure, but close to nothing." It almost surprised Sungjin when he hears Younghyun suddenly talk from his back. "Hello to you too, Mr. Kang." The professor says as he places the photograph back on the pile, but Younghyun steals it in the process. "I knew everyone would take photos of their marks, I'm glad mine isn't appearing yet. I don't wanna be cliché." Younghyun says, placing the photo back before following Sungjin who goes towards the studio.

"It will appear soon, you still have a few days left." Younghyun gasps and looks at Sungjin in astonishment. "You remember my birthday!" He says happily before clinging onto Sungjin's arm. "Of course, you're the baby brother I never had." Sungjin replies, pinching Younghyun's nose. "Baby brother?" he asks skeptically, "If that's the case, then I should just call you hyung. No more ‘Sir!’"

Sungjin laughs and doesn't reply; he continues setting up his camera until Younghyun starts whining. "Sungjin hyuuung~" Younghyun says quietly, and then he repeats it a little louder. "It sounds nice, right?" Younghyun says, still clinging to his professor. "Hmm." Sungjin replies smiling to himself. Then Younghyun disentangles himself and asks, "Is that a yes or a no?"

"Hmm." Sungjin says again, moving towards the tripod. "Anyway, I thought you were going to tell me about your thoughts regarding the book?" Younghyun's expression immediately changes to a cheerful one. He settles to Sungjin's chair and proceeds on telling him about his judgments.

It wasn't like love at first sight; it was more of recognition at first sight. Like Younghyun knew that he's going to love Sungjin. When Younghyun first saw Sungjin, something inside him sparked. Up until now he still doesn't know what that was, but he's certain it's not something relating to his soulmate. And he's too young for it anyway.

And just like what Sungjin told him, he's also an older brother that he never had. Younghyun is an only child and has always been fine about it, but the thought of having a sibling thrills him. Especially if he's someone like Sungjin, someone who is mature, nice, intelligent, manly, and handsome. Who wouldn't like to have someone like Sungjin in their lives?

He goes home that day with a heavy heart; the thought of his birthday approaching makes him sad. Younghyun knows everything would totally be different once his soulmate mark appears. It would be different in the sense that, he's in love with someone who is not his soulmate. To how he'd live with that, he still has yet to find out.

But for now, he'll just enjoy the days left for him and Sungjin. He'll take what he can and leave after. He’s gonna love him until his soulmate comes. As he is climbing into the bus, his phone vibrates in his pocket. He checks it and immediately smiles after seeing who the sender was.

From: Sir Park Sungjinie <3  
It would be cool to be in someone else's body for a day.  
Take care on your way home.

p.s. you can call me hyung. : )

  
Younghyun has to bite his lips to hide his smile in public. He's internally screaming with so much happiness from Sungjin's message. Even though he got brother-zoned, it's not like he has plans on becoming more than that anyway. He considers it a good idea, being Sungjin's boyfriend, but that would only give him false hopes. Plus a broken heart and he wouldn't want to betray his soulmate either.

To: Sungjin Hyung <3  
Everyday is a good book and yeah, I think so too.  
You too, hyung, take care, hyung. : )

Sungjin is thankful that even though he allowed Younghyun to call him hyung, he still calls him Sir when they are in public. He only calls him hyung in his text messages, but the first time he did call him in person was heartwarming. He was telling the truth when he told Younghyun that he was like a brother he never had.

Their almost ten-year gap is the main reason for that, but looking at Younghyun automatically brings out the urge to protect him. To spoil him, to give in to his requests, to pamper him, he is so much like a younger brother. It was almost like what he felt with Wonpil, but somehow still different. He loved Wonpil and he loves Younghyun, but differently, and he also doesn't want to fall in love again.

"Hyung." comes a whisper from the studio door. Sungjin turns to see Younghyun with fast-food take-outs in hands. "Let's eat?" Then he settles the paper bags on Sungjin's table. "What are you planning to do for your birthday?" Sungjin asks from the tripod before taking the camera with him onto the table, beside the food.

"I don't have plans, really." he says, munching off his fries. "How about you take me out and pay for everything." he continues jokingly, throwing a fry onto Sungjin. "Sure, pick a place." The teacher replies as he tries to catch the poor fry which eventually fell on the floor. "Woah. Are you really living up your older brother image?" Younghyun asks disbelievingly, but happily.

Sungjin laughs at him and nods. "It's a Monday so a dinner would be fine or we could just stay here and eat. That would be cooler! Let's just order takeout and eat here." Younghyun says a little later, a little too happy too. "Anything for you, baby brother." Sungjin replies which he earns an arsenal of aegyos.

It was burning and stinging, Younghyun can feel it. The moment the clock struck twelve, the certain area on his neck started burning. He goes towards the mirror and watches his soulmate mark finally shows itself. And the moment the throbbing pain stopped, his tears wells up and his face contorts in a different kind of pain.

Now that his soulmate mark is finally there and will forever stay, he knows it will not take long and he'll drift apart from Sungjin. It's not only because of that since Sungjin's much older than him that means he'll probably find his own soulmate sooner or later. He knew he was going to take it bad once his mark appears. He knew it was gonna be painful for him. But he doesn't expect it to be that bad. He’s a crying mess and he looks pathetic especially that he can see how he looks like.

Once he calms down, he looks at his mark and examines it intently. 'At least, you are beautiful.' He says to himself, tracing it with his fingers.

Making finals exams isn't hard, but making finals exams for five different classes is. It's taking up too much of Sungjin's time and effort. At least he forgets about his bitterness for a while, but now that he thinks about it, it doesn't hurt him that much anymore. Back then, it used to hurt him so much, it was almost lethal. Whenever he thinks about it, his breathing becomes ragged and his forehead automatically creasing.

He remembers that day vividly. He has just woken up and he’s still sleepy. With his eyes still closed, he reaches to Wonpil's side but grasps nothing. When he opens them, he sees Wonpil quietly looking at himself in the mirror, touching something on his neck. It was stupid, but a brave act for them to commit to each other even though their marks were different. "I found him, Sungjin." He remembers hearing that from Wonpil that morning.

And when he came home that night, Wonpil was gone, but he saw them run away. He saw him with Jaehyung, the senior who immediately grew a liking towards Wonpil on their first meeting. It makes him wonder if Wonpil truly loved him or he was just making the most of his free time while waiting for his soulmate.

He gets off from his car with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Then, at the corner of his eyes, he sees Younghyun, looking down. And as the student walks closer and closer to him, without the younger noticing him, he sees how swollen his eyes are. And the sight of him only wearing a v neck in a kind of weather angers him too.

He, on the other hand, is wearing a knitted sweater and a scarf. But as Younghyun comes nearer to him, he sees something that wasn't on his neck before. He mentally smacks himself, it's Younghyun's eighteenth birthday and he forgot. And of course, he'll have his mark now. He's about to take his scarf off, but when he gets to see the mark closer, he stops and walks away.

Sungjin's heart is pounding hard against his chest because it shouldn't be. His mind suddenly becomes disorganized and when Younghyun looks at him in the eyes, he shifts away and turns around. He also tried his best not to talk to him for the whole period. And when lunch came, he goes to the faculty room instead of the Photography Laboratory.

Younghyun knew it would happen, he knew that Sungjin would avoid him as soon as he sees the mark. He doesn't know why and he doesn't have an explanation for it, but he knew it would happen. So he doesn't send him a message when he came into the Photography Laboratory and he wasn't there. He doesn't text him that they were supposed to eat a take-out because it's his birthday.

The next day was no different and before Younghyun could notice, the semester is already about to end. For months, he stares at his phone waiting for Sungjin's message, but nothing ever came. During classes, both of them try to avoid eye contact and unsolicited conversations. And there was one time, Sungjin was handing out quizzes and their hands touched, but both of them pulled away at the same time. It makes Younghyun cringe, he doesn’t see it coming, that they would become like this.

  
But those months also were the months Sungjin finally realized his feelings. He finally realized why he's so overprotective over Younghyun. He finally realized why he never got mad at him whenever he intrudes his quiet time and personal bubble. He finally realized why he would always give in to his requests, even as far as reading a young adult novel. He finally did.

It's all because he's in love with him and he's fucked. He lies on his bed while pulling his hair, gritting his teeth, and groaning hard. He sits up and goes in front of the mirror; he traces his mark and grimaces with the sight of it. He's really fucked and he's helpless.

He's just thankful; the semester is finally coming to an end. There are only a few days left before the Summer break and he couldn't wait anymore. When he goes to school the next day, he hands his resignation and leaves the campus as soon as he can. Then after arriving at his apartment, he packs his things up. No, he wouldn’t wait anymore; he has to do it now.

The news about Professor Park resigning spread out like a wildfire. Apart from being one of the best professors, he also pretty popular for looking just so good. He's, of course, the university's loss, and Younghyun's too. For some not so obvious reasons, Younghyun thinks he is the cause why the professor resigned and he's torn between convincing him to stay and avoiding him.

Sungjin must have felt so strongly he had gone as far as resigning. That only means he really wants to get away from Younghyun. So he remained quiet and far away from Sungjin, even though he misses him a lot. There was never a time he didn't cry after his mark came, today isn't an exemption.

His mother asked him to go back to Incheon for the summer break, but he knows he's in no condition to be there. And when he hears a knock on his door, he covers himself with his blanket and pretends to be asleep. He waits for the knock to go away, but it didn't. So he wiped his face dry and opens the door slowly.

"Younghyun, will you run away with me?"

There in his front door is Sungjin, his hair is disheveled and he doesn't look too well too. Unlike his usual clothing, he's just wearing a turtle neck and pants. Younghyun, who is only dressed in his pajama, nods, and leaps onto Sungjin's arms.

"Okay." He says as he buries his face on Sungjin's chest. And the next thing he knows he's in Sungjin's car and his professor's hand did not leave his. The hand is warm and comforting; it makes him believe that what they're going to do would be okay. But Younghyun knew too well that stories like this never end up well.

They might manage for the first weeks or months, but sooner or later, one of them will find their soulmate and leave the other. Eventually, they will fall back onto where they are supposed to be, but for now, he'll take what he can. He tightens his hold on Sungjin's hand and the older glances at him. He isn't smiling and he could not read his expression.

Sungjin isn't speaking, Younghyun thinks they should be talking about what they are going to do, but he stays quiet. Few more minutes later, Sungjin stops his car in front of a house. It's old he could tell, but it still looks nice. It's a western-style house with a patio and a small garden on the front porch. Sungjin is the first one to leave the car and then he opens the door for Younghyun.

Sungjin holds his hand and pulls him towards the pathway beside the house. The professor is still not talking to him, but the grip on his hand tells him not to ask anything. It's until they reached a lake, Sungjin lets his hand go and continuously heads towards the waters. Younghyun doesn't understand anything and he's there watching Sungjin finally settle. He stops when the water reaches his hips; then he turns to Younghyun. 

"Come here." He says opening his arms for Younghyun. Like a genie in a bottle, Younghyun obliges and slowly walks towards him. Sungjin meets him halfway, but as soon as he has Younghyun in his arms, he walks deeper into the water. Unlike earlier, the water is now reaching above their belly. Then, Sungjin's left-hand holds his torso, and his right-hand creeps up on Younghyun's neck.

It grazes a little on his mark and it tingles a little. Slowly, Sungjin leans in, catching his lightly parted lips. He kisses Younghyun slowly as if memorizing the texture and the experience. He nips on his lower lip and slowly hoists Younghyun up until the younger has his legs wrapped around his waist. He holds him safely as kisses him more, savoring the immaculate experience.

It was starting to get dark with the fireflies announcing their presence, lighting up the small lake.

He pulls away and sees Younghyun's red face and half-lidded eyes looking back at him. Then, he dips back in, kissing his cheeks, his jaw, and finally the soulmate mark. Younghyun moans a little with the connection and he wants to cry. The soulmate mark that should not have appeared in the first place burns from the contact with Sungjin’s lips.

Sungjin goes back to kiss Younghyun then up to his eyes after he sees him crying. With one hand keeping Younghyun up and close to him, Sungjin’s other hand reaches to the collar of his turtleneck. He slowly pulls it down and says, "Younghyun." pointing to his own soulmate mark. Younghyun's eyes widen and he tightens his hold on Sungjin. He buries his head close to Sungjin's mark and feels it burn against his cheek.

Younghyun’s weeping hard and Sungjin is crying too because there, on Younghyun's neck is a letter S with sun and moon surrounding it. There, on Younghyun's neck is the same soulmate mark he has. And there, in his arms is Younghyun, his soulmate. And everything clicked like finally finishing a puzzle. Everything fell into its place and Younghyun is his soulmate.

"I love you Younghyun." He says right behind his ears. Younghyun leans his head back to look at him; his eyes are red and the tip of his nose too. "I love you too, Sungjin hyung." he replies as his tears race down to his chin. "You are my soulmate, right?" Sungjin whispers to Younghyun's lips.

"Yes and you are mine." Younghyun replies pecking on Sungjin's lips.

Sungjin’s head is full of Younghyun, his lips against his, his bare body willingly welcoming him. His head is full of Younghyun's pleadings and moans, saying his name and asking him not to stop. Sungjin continues thrusting into him as he looks down and sees how willing Younghyun is. Sungjin looks at Younghyun and admires how beautiful his soulmate is. It’s dark, but he’s glowing under Sungjin and he’s breathtaking.

The younger's eyes are half-lidded and he's sweating a little. He has his arms around Sungjin's neck and his bare legs safely lock around his hips. Earlier, Sungjin took Younghyun into the house and asked the younger to wash up while he looks for clothes. But the younger pulled him into the bathroom, asking him to stay with him.

Sungjin knew that it would not be a nice experience for his soulmate to be left alone, especially after find out that they are indeed soulmates. So he stays with him, naked under the shower and onto the bed. "Sungjin hyung~" Younghyun says, pulling Sungjin whilst puckering his lips. The professor leans down and gives what the younger is asking for.

"You are not gonna leave, right?" Younghyun asks, he's almost vibrating from the pounding Sungjin is doing to him. The older slows down after hearing Younghyun's question. "I won't, never. I'm gonna take you anywhere I go and you and I will be anywhere you want us to go." He replies, pulling Younghyun to sit on his lap.

He snakes his arms around Younghyun's torso, holding him close against him. The younger grimaces and moans from the change of position, as he clutches hard onto Sungjin. "Yes." Younghyun says breathily, "Don't ever let me go."

Then, at the same time, their marks burn and light up. Sungjin sees that another letter has appeared on Younghyun's neck. "There are SY on your mark." Younghyun says, slumping onto Sungjin’s chest. "Yours too.” Sungjin says, kissing Younghyun’s mark.

End.

**Author's Note:**

> AAHHHHHHH I LOVE SUNGBRI SO MUCH
> 
> What are your favorite fics? Leave it in the comment below! Would love to read them huhu


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